The House of Representatives passed the Tea Party-backed “cut, cap and balance” plan today, sending the measure to the Senate, where it stands next to no chance of passing. The measure, which requires trillions in spending cuts and a balanced-budget amendment to the Constitution in return for raising the debt…
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US intelligence blamed for issuing messages falsely reporting death of movement’s leader spiritual Mullah Mohammad Omar Two Taliban spokesmen said their mobile phones, emails and a website had been hacked into and messages issued on Wednesday falsely reporting the death of the movement’s supreme leader, Mullah Mohammad Omar. The one-eyed, reclusive leader is one of the most wanted men in the world, and is believed to be living in Pakistan, probably in the city of Quetta. Pakistan and the Taliban movement both deny this and say he is in Afghanistan. “This is the work of American intelligence, and we will take revenge on the telephone network providers,” said spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, when contacted by Reuters to confirm the veracity of one text message. The messages came from phone numbers used in the past by Mujahid and a second spokesman Mohammad Qari Yousuf and said “spiritual Leader Mullah Mohammad Omar Mujahid has died” and “May Allah bless his soul”. Yousuf said the hacking was an attempt at psychological warfare by Nato-led forces. “The enemies have sophisticated technology so they can easily manipulate our website and our phone numbers. The enemies are spreading rumours because they are facing a decisive defeat and their morale is weakened,” he said . The death of Omar was reported in May, by media including Afghanistan’s private TV station TOLO. That report was dismissed by security officials in Pakistan and diplomats, US military commanders and government officials in Afghanistan. With a $10m (£6m) US bounty on his head, Omar fled with the rest of the Afghan Taliban leadership to Quetta after their government was toppled in late 2001. They formed the “Quetta shura”, or leadership council. Taliban Afghanistan Pakistan US military United States guardian.co.uk
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Former leader of Krajina enclave inside Croatia is wanted by war crimes tribunal in The Hague for ‘ethnic cleansing’ Goran Hadzic, the last war crimes fugitive from the Yugoslav wars, has been arrested, according to Serb officials. They gave no details but confirmed a report by B92 television news in Belgrade that Hadzic had been caught after spending eight years on the run. Serbia’s president, Boris Tadic, has called a press conference at which he is expected to formally announce the arrest, made two months after the climactic arrest of the Bosnian Serb, Ratko Mladic, who is in the custody of The Hague war crimes tribunal. With Hadzic’s arrest, the tribunal has secured the capture of all 161 war crimes suspects it indicted. “Not a bad record,” a Hague official commented. Hadzic’s capture will add weight to Serbia’s bid to become a member of the European Union. He led the ethnic Serb enclave of Krajina inside Croatia from the collapse of Yugoslavia and the start of the Balkan wars in 1991 until the region was overrun by Croatian forces in 1995. Hadzic was charged in 2004 by the tribunal in The Hague with leading the “ethnic cleansing” of Krajina, driving out Croats and other non-Serbs. The indictment included war crimes and crimes against humanity, including “persecutions on political, racial or religious grounds, extermination, murder, torture, deportation and forcible transfer” as well as “wanton destruction … or devastation”. A total of 10,000 people died in the fighting in Croatia, another 100,000 were killed in Bosnia and an estimated 10,000 in Kosovo. Following Mladic’s arrest on 26 May Tadic said it lifted a stain from Serbian history. The EU foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton, said it moved Serbia closer to EU membership. Writing in The Guardian , she said: “We never expected the process to be quick or easy. The wounds of history take time to heal. There is much unfinished business throughout the region. But the hope of joining the EU, and sharing in its ideals and prosperity, has provided a powerful incentive to settle old differences.” Serbia War crimes Europe European Union Julian Borger guardian.co.uk
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• Famine now exists in the Bakool and Lower Shabelle regions • Aid agency accuses European governments of ‘wilful neglect’ The UN has officially declared two parts of Somalia to be in famine amid the worst drought in east Africa for 60 years. Mark Bowden, humanitarian coordinator for Somalia, said on Wednesday that famine conditions now existed in the Bakool and Lower Shabelle regions of the country. But he warned: “If we don’t act now, famine will spread to all eight regions of southern Somalia within two months, due to poor harvests and infectious disease outbreaks. “We still do not have all the resources for food, clean water, shelter and health services to save the lives of hundreds of thousands of Somalis in desperate need.” He added that the lack of resources is alarming. “Every day of delay in assistance is literally a matter of life or death for children and their families in the famine affected areas.” UN humanitarian agencies have welcomed the recent statement by al-Shabaab, Islamist insurgents affiliated to al-Qaida, requesting aid in southern Somalia, but said the inability of food agencies to work in the region since early 2010 has prevented the UN from reaching the very hungry – especially children – and has contributed to the current crisis. The Bakool and Lower Shabelle regions are understood to be controlled by al-Shabaab. The UN refugee agency, the UNHCR, said it was seeking further security guarantees from the rebel group that it can deliver greater amounts of assistance in the area to prevent more hungry people from becoming refugees. The drought in east Africa has left an estimated 11 million people at risk, but Somalia has been the worst hit country as it is already wracked by decades of conflict. The most affected areas of Somalia are in the south, particularly the region of Lower Shabelle, Middle and Lower Juba, Bay, Bakool, Benadir, Gedo and Hiraan, where the UN says an estimated 310,000 now suffer from acute malnutrition. The Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Unit (FSNAU) said the crisis represented the most serious food insecurity situation in the world today, in terms of scale and severity. “Current humanitarian response is inadequate to meet emergency needs,” it said. “Assuming current levels of response, evidence suggests that famine across all regions of the south will occur in the coming one to two months. A massive multisectoral response is critical to prevent additional deaths and total livelihood/social collapse and most immediately, interventions to improve food access and to address health/nutrition issues are needed.” Andrew Mitchell, the UK’s international development secretary, said: “In Somalia, men, women and children are dying of starvation. The fact that a famine has been declared shows just how grave the situation has become. “It is time for the world to help but sadly the response from many countries has been derisory and dangerously inadequate. Britain is playing its part, with help for more than 2 million people across the Horn of Africa. Now others must do the same.” A famine is measured by rates of hunger, malnutrition and deaths, but the key to it is that it must be widespread. Technically, a famine is a mortality rate of more than two people per 10,000 per day; acute malnutrition reaching more than 30%; water consumption becoming less than four litres a day; and intake of kilocalories of 1,500 a day compared with the recommended 2,100 a day. Hundreds of thousands of people have fled Somalia due to the drought and conflict, and refugees are dying of causes related to malnutrition either during the journey or very shortly after arrival at aid camps. On Sunday, the UNHCR began emergency airlift flights in Nairobi to help hundreds of thousands of Somalis who have taken refuge in neighbouring countries. A giant cargo jet chartered by UNHCR landed in Nairobi with 100 tonnes of tents for the Dadaab refugee camp complex near the Kenya-Somalia border. The UN says nearly half of the population in Somalia is facing a humanitarian crisis and in urgent need of aid. The number of people in crisis has increased by more than 1 million in the last six months. More than 166,000 Somalis have fled the country since the start of the year, with more than 100,000 of those leaving since May. UN agencies have asked for $1.6bn to pay for essential programmes in east Africa, but have only received half that amount. Oxfam has accused several European governments of “willful neglect” over the crisis in east Africa. The NGO said the international response to the drought in Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya has been surprisingly slow. “There is no time to waste if we are to avoid massive loss of life. We must not stand by and watch this tragedy unfold before our eyes,” said Fran Equiza, Oxfam’s regional director. “The world has been slow to recognise the severity of this crisis, but there is no longer any excuse for inaction.” Oxfam said the UK had led the way in pledging new aid, but said France had failed to match words with any additional funding and that neither Italy nor Denmark had provided any new aid. “The worst affected areas have endured decades of marginalisation and economic under-development,” said Equiza. “If more action had been taken earlier we would not now be at the stage where so many people are facing starvation.” One in 10 children in parts of Somalia is at risk of starving to death, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said last week. The independent aid agency, one of very few with access to Somalia’s worst-hit areas, said that even in the Bay and Lower Shabelle regions, Somalia’s traditional breadbaskets, nearly 11% of children under five had severe acute malnutrition. An appeal by the Disasters Emergency Committee , an umbrella group of UK charities, has raised £20m since it launched its east Africa appeal. Famine Malnutrition Food security Somalia Africa Mark Tran guardian.co.uk
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New Zealand prime minister confirms, but then plays down, investigation over Israeli victim who held five passports New Zealand intelligence services have launched an investigation into a possible Israeli spy operation in Christchurch after suspicious activity was observed in the immediate aftermath of the February earthquake, the New Zealand prime minister, John Key, has confirmed. But Key insisted the investigation had been completed with no evidence found of wrongdoing. Inquiries centred on a potential breach of the national police computer system. According to a report in the Southland Times , the investigation was prompted by the departure from New Zealand of three Israeli citizens within hours of the 22 February quake and the discovery of as many as five passports on one of three Israelis killed. There were reports of an unauthorised Israeli search and rescue team that was refused entry to Christchurch’s cordoned-off central business district. There was widespread speculation in New Zealand that the country could be facing asequel to the events of 2004, when Helen Clark’s government imposed diplomatic sanctions on Israel after two suspected Mossad agents were convicted of passport fraud in Auckland. The Israeli government apologised the following year. The prime minister, who is visiting the US, initially did little to dampen suggestions of another diplomatic imbroglio when he evaded reporters’ questions, insisting “it is not in the national interest to discuss those matters”, while confirming he had taken “a number of calls” from the Israeli premier, Binyamin Netanyahu, in the hours after the Christchurch earthquake. Later in the day Key moved to dismiss spying claims. In a statement he said the investigation had been concluded and there was no evidence of subterfuge. “Security agencies conducted the investigation and found no evidence that the people were anything other than backpackers.” Key said he had been advised that reports of Israeli citizens carrying multiple passports were ill-founded and he was satisfied with police assurances that there had been no unauthorised access to the police computer system. “The investigations that have been undertaken have been thorough and have found no evidence of a link between the group and Israeli intelligence.” The author of the Southland Times article, Fred Tulett, stood by his story, saying that contrary to Key’s remarks the investigation was continuing. He maintained that five passports had been in the possession of the Israeli who was killed, Benyamin Mizrahi. One of them was a European passport. His companions handed over a second passport, his Israeli one, when they left the country, Tulett said. The Israeli ambassador for the South Pacific, Shemi Tzur, said any suggestion of a Mossad presence in Christchurch was “science fiction”. The Israeli citizens had returned home following the death of a friend whose van was crushed, he said. The Israeli rescue teams, he added, were refused entry because they lacked the necessary authorisation but were there for the right reasons and were left “angry and upset”. He told the Southland Times: “Yes, there was some regrettable history of Mossad involvement in New Zealand in 2004, and they have apologised for that and we have put it beyond us. Now we are moving forward.” New Zealand Israel Natural disasters and extreme weather Toby Manhire guardian.co.uk
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Special meeting to discuss ‘green helmets’ force to intervene in conflicts caused by rising seas levels and shrinking resources A special meeting of the United Nations security council is due to consider whether to expand its mission to keep the peace in an era of climate change. Small island states, which could disappear beneath rising seas, are pushing the security council to intervene to combat the threat to their existence. There has been talk, meanwhile, of a new environmental peacekeeping force – green helmets – which could step into conflicts caused by shrinking resources. The UN secretary general, Ban Ki-Moon, is expected to address the meeting on Wednesday. But Germany, which called the meeting, has warned it is premature to expect the council to take the plunge into green peacemaking or even adopt climate change as one of its key areas of concern. “It is too early to seriously think about council action on climate change. This is clearly not on the agenda,” Germany’s ambassador to the UN, Peter Wittig, wrote in the Huffington Post. “A good first step would be to acknowledge the realities of climate change and its inherent implications to international peace and security,” he wrote. Bringing the security council up to speed on climate change could be a challenge, however. The Pentagon and other military establishments have long recognised climate change as a “threat multiplier” with the potential to escalate existing conflicts, and create new disputes as food, water, and arable land become increasingly scarce. Wittig seems to agree, noting that UN peacekeepers have long intervened in areas beyond traditional conflicts. “Repainting blue helmets into green might be a strong signal – but would dealing with the consequences of climate change – say in precarious regions – be really very different from the tasks the blue helmets already perform today?” he wrote. In an official “Concept Note” ahead of the meeting, Germany said the security council needed to draw up scenarios for dealing with the affects of extreme temperatures and rising seas. How would the UN deal with climate refugees? How would it prevent conflicts in those parts of Africa and Asia which could face food shortages? But there is a deep divide over whether the security council should even consider climate change as a security issue. China, for example, argues that the security council should leave climate change to the experts. However, small island states in the Pacific, which face an existential threat due to climate change, have been pushing the council to act for years. “The security council should join the general assembly in recognising climate change as a threat to international peace and security. It is a threat as great as nuclear proliferation or global terrorism,” Marcus Stephen, the president of Nauru, wrote in a piece in the New York Times. “Second, a special representative on climate and security should be appointed. Third, we must assess whether the United Nations system is itself capable of responding to a crisis of this magnitude.” That remains an open question. Wednesday’s meeting arrives at a time of growing doubt about whether the UN is equipped to deal with climate change. Last month’s climate talks in Bonn produced little progress in key areas. Meanwhile, Ban has been refocusing his attention from climate change to sustainable development. The security council has also been stalled in its efforts to deal with the threats posed by climate change. Its first attempt was at a meeting in 2007 convened by Britain. But the effort swiftly exposed the deep divisions of the common problem. Small island states, which could disappear entirely beneath rising seas, were anxious for the security council to intervene, saying the threat they faced was as severe as war. But China and other countries resisted, arguing the security council should stick to maintaining the peace. Climate change Sea level Global climate talks United Nations Suzanne Goldenberg guardian.co.uk
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Group of influential senators make a proposal that might win the support of both President Obama and the Republicans A last-ditch plan to resolve the deadlock over America’s debt ceiling has raised hopes that the world’s biggest economy could avoid a potentially catastrophic default, as Europe remains bogged down in its own financial crisis. Financial markets rallied on Wednesday after a group of senators dubbed the “Gang of Six” unveiled a proposal that might win the support of both President Obama and the Republican opposition. Asian and European stock markets posted gains, the oil price rose, gold lost ground, and the dollar fell against the euro – all signs that investors were less fearful about the future. The Gang of Six’s plan attempts to stake out the middle ground between the two opposing sides. It includes deficit cuts of almost $4 trillion (£2.48tn) over the decade, including reductions in spending on health programmes – but may appease Democrat concerns by guaranteeing some essential services. It also calls for $1tn of increased tax revenue, but balances this with income tax rate cuts that could find favour with Republicans. Obama called the proposal a “very significant step”, and urged the three Democrats and three Republican senators to develop it. “My hope … is that they tomorrow are prepared to start talking turkey and getting down to the hard business of crafting a plan,” Obama told reporters on Tuesday. America has less than two weeks to agree a plan to raise its debt ceiling from the current maximum level of $14.3tn, which was reached in May . The US Treasury predicts that the country will run out of resources to pay its bills on 2 August, but some experts believe a deal must be reached by this Friday to allow time for legislation to be written, debated and approved. City traders were also encouraged by signs of progress in the US debt ceiling talks, but warned that investors remained wary. “The consensus has always been that political posturing would see this go to the wire before an acceptable resolution was found, but it has presented an uncomfortable scenario to holders of treasuries and arguably won’t stand to do the US any favours in the longer term,” said Ben Potter, market strategist at IG Markets. “That aside, the Dow added 202 points yesterday and gold is in retreat, two clear signs that some confidence is seeping back in to equity markets now,” Potter added. In London, the FTSE index rose by 36 points in early trading to 5826. The price of a barrel of US crude gained $1 to $98.47, while gold remained below the $1,600 mark reached on Monday. Europe’s leaders continue to struggle to agree a way forward ahead of Thursday’s crunch meeting in Brussels. Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, will meet French president Nicolas Sarkozy in Berlin on Wednesday to prepare for the meeting of eurozone heads of state and government. On Tuesday night Merkel spoke with Obama by telephone, both agreeing that it was vital to find a way forward. However, it is still not clear how a second bailout of Greece will be funded. Merkel’s warning that the situation will not be resolved with a single “spectacular event” alarmed analysts, who fear that further indecision could trigger another stage of the crisis. Spain and Italy remained under pressure in the international markets. The yields, or interest rates, on their 10-year bonds were trading at 6.06% and 5.69% respectively, slightly lower overnight but still indicating that traders view their bonds as risky . Economics US economy Republicans United States US politics Obama administration Graeme Wearden guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Michele Bachmann is dismissing the notion that severe migraines frequently incapacitate her, reports Politico . She does get the headaches, but “they are easily controlled” with prescribed medication, she said. “Let me be abundantly clear—my ability to function effectively has never been impeded by migraines and will not affect my…
Continue reading …Easy winner for lawsuit of the day: A state appellate panel in New Jersey has ruled that Hindu diners can sue a restaurant that mistakenly served them meat for the price of a trip to India, the Star-Ledger reports. The 16 vegetarians say they must purify their souls and can…
Continue reading …The hackers of Anonymous are apparently a far-flung group. The Justice Department today said it arrested 14 of them across nine states and the District of Columbia, reports the AP . They are accused of taking part in last year’s attack on PayPal , which took place after the website suspended accounts…
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